Electroplating apparatus



D. A. METZ.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2|, 1am. I 1 ,3 1 5,029 Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A rmmvsrs THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPR (:0.' WASHINGTON, D. c.

D. A. METZ.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 21. 1918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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DAVID ALLEN METZ, on PHILADELPHIA,ILPENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTROPLATING AIPPARA'IUS,

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed September 21, 1918. Serial No. 255,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID ALLEN Mn'rz, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Electroplating Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates in general to solution-stirringapparatus applicableto electrolytic tanks for refining metals by producing agitation andelectro-deposition, and re lates more particularly to and comprehends anovel means for effecting the agitation of the electrolyte which can asa unitary structure be applied to tanks of different dimensions andconstruction. 7

It is well known that a controlled and ac tive circulation of theelectrolyte in the refining or plating tankis a desirable feature astending to produce smooth and even deposr t ion upon the cathode, and myinvention comprehends an organized unitary mechanical apparatus foragitating or stirring the solution in a simple, cheap and effectivemanner in any type of tank provided with the necessary anodes and havingthe" usual electrical connections. v

My invention having general reference, therefore, to improvements inapparatus Zused for producing the electro-deposition of metals, itembraces more particularly a novel organization of assembled means foragitating the articles to be plated within the plating olution, and itsob ect1s to provlde such a means as can as a whole be applled to varioustanks and as so appliedinsure that i the plating process can be earnedout, efficiently and in a very short time.

With the foregoing objects in VIGW, my invention comprehends acertainnovel unitary organization of agitating devices forelectro-plating tanks and of the driving -mechanism therefor, and,further, a novel arrangement and combination of said devices and theirad]unct1ve parts, as well as l the details of the construction of thesame, all as hereinafter fully described.

cause in practice it has For the purpose of illustrating my invention, Ihave shown in the accompanying drawings a certain type and embodlment ofit Which is at present preferred by me, be-

and reliable results.

isshown as embodied can be variously argiven satisfactory ranged andorganized and that my invention is not therefore to be closely limitedto .the precise arrangement and organization of the components typifiedin the construction depicted in the accompanying drawings and here ndescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure .l

represents in perspective an electroplating my invention. i

Fig. Qrepresents in front elevation my unitary agitating attachmentremoved from the tank. l

Fig. 3 represents a guide bracket for the cathode, a pair of which areadapted to be applied either to the uprights or to the tank. Similarnumerals of reference indicate apparatus embodying a preferred form ofcorresponding parts.

. Referring to the drawings:

1 designates a typical plating tank for holding in solution the;articles to be plated,

which is composed of the bottom 2, the ends 3, andthe sides a, and whichmay beof any preferred dimensions and construction and materials l i lunitary agitating attachment which I apply to any typeof tank is showndetached in Fig. 2, and comprises the following component elements,namely :-5are awpair of spaceduprights or supporting frames, preferablymadeof wood, and ofa length, say,

of 3 feetabove the tank and of the same length downwardly alongitssides, which are adapted tobe secured by fasteningdevices such as theboltsfi, to the ends of the tank. i

\ 1 Connecting these uprights together pref erably in parallelism is atransverse, central rod 7,which is the cathode, andhereinafter termedthe cathode rod, the ends of which pass through slots 8 in the uprights,and are provided with looking collars 7* to prevent endwise movementrelatively to the uprights llllClelillhe regulations of the collar 7*. g

In the application and connection jofthe pair of uprights to and with atank, a pair of guide brackets or metal ways or guides 10, showninFig.3, are as a matter of preference used and adapted to be connectedastotheir bases ll, either with thetank ends or. with the insides ofthe, uprights.

12 are a series of connecting or eccentric rods, the lowerends of whichare formed with collars 13 mounted on the cathode and effecting a looseconnection provided with eccentric straps 14:, which embrace eccentrics15, fastened or formed upon the eccentric driving shafts 16, which shaft1s Journaled in bearings 17 at the upper and preferably the outside endsof the uprights 5, and serves in connection with the cathode 7 to fastentogether the uprights.

One end of the eccentric shaft 16 is locked against sidewise movementthrough its bearing 17 by an adjustable locking collar 18,

while the other end extends through its bearing 17, on the otherupright, and is provided with similarly adjustable fast and loosepulleys 19 and 20, through the driying of which rotation is imparted tosaid shaft, with the result that the operation of the eccentrics 15through the connecting rods 12, will occasion a predetermined verticalreciprocatory movement of the negative cathode 7, through the slots 8 inthe uprights and the slots 9 in the guide brackets 10.

21 designates a pair of rods being the typical positive anodes of theapparatus, which, as in the usual practice, are mounted, conveniently bybox-like fastenings 22 secured upon the ends 3 of the tank, so as to bein parallelism.

23 designates a rack or plurality of racks, for carrying the articles tobe plated in submergence in the electrolyte, which may be of any desiredshape but are each preferably composed of transverse rods or wires 24:,and one of vertical suspending rods 25 which extend upwardly andterminates in hooks 26, adapted to be hung over the cathode rod.

The electrical connections are not illustrated because'they are of theusual kind and are well understood in the art.

Such being a preferred and very simple construction embodying myinvention, its

operation will be easily understood.

Rotation of the eccentric driving shaft lothrough the driving pulleys 19and 20, or other driving devices, will occasion the throw of theeccentrics 15, and accordingly to the proportions of the eccentrics 15,impart through the connecting rods 12, a lift and drop of the cathoderod of the desired extent, with the result of the continuous andcorrespondent lifting and dropping of the carrying racks and the carriedarticles to be plated.

By making the eccentric shaft and the cathode rod of any desiredlengths, and making the locking collars 18 and 7 movable lengthwise onthem, I am enabled to adjust the uprights and the attachment as anentirety, to tanks of different lengths.

Although I do not limit myself to it, I prefer in practice to drive theeccentric shaft at fifteen revolutions per minute with j a drivingstroke byone inch, and this befrom the work being plated, and keeps itsmooth and bright, 7

Having thus described my invention I claim,--

1. An agitating mechanism for attachment to and removal from a platingtank, which comprises in combination the following instrumentalities,namely :a pair of spaced uprights embodying longitudinal slots,-aneccentric driving shaft connecting and rotatable with respect to saiduprights,means for rotating said shaft,a cathode rod connecting andvertically rcciprocable with respect to said uprights, and having itsends extending through the slots thereof,connecting rods eccentricallyconnected with said eccentric shaft and loosely connected with saidcathode rod,and means for connecting with and for suspending the-shaft,a cathode rod vertically reciprocable with respect to saiduprights and having its ends guided in said slots,-connecting rodseccentrically connected with said cccentric shaft and looselv connectedwith said cathode rod,and means connected with and for suspending fromthe cathode rod articles to be plated, the foregoing being attachable toor disconnected from the plating tank as a unit.

3. An agitating mechanism for attachment to and removal from a platingtank, which comprises in combination the following instrumentalities,namely :a pair of spaced uprights having longitudinal slots,-aneccentric driving shaft connecting and rotatable with respect to saiduprights, and provided with an adjustable locking collar, means forrotating said shaft,a cathode rod connecting and vertically reciprocablewith respect to said uprights, and having its ends extending through theslots thereof and provided externally of said uprights with lockingcollars,-c0nnecting rods eccentrically connected with said eccentricshaft and loosely connected with said cathode rod, and means connectedwith and for suspending from the cathode rod articles to be plated.

4. In combination with a tank for containing plating fluid and withanodes applied to said tank,an agitating mechanism forattachment to andremoval from said tank, which comprises the following instrumentalities,namely :a pair of spaced uprights embodying longitudinal slots,aneccentric driving shaft connecting and r0- tatable with respect to saiduprights, and provided with an adjustable locking collar,- means forrotating said shaft,a cathode rod connecting and vertically reciprocablewith respect to said uprights and through the slots thereof and providedexternally of said uprights with looking collars,connecting rodseccentrically connected with said eccentric shaft and loosely connectedwith said cathode rod,-and means connected with and for suspending fromthe cathode rod articles to be plated.

5. An attachment to a plating tank, comprising a pair of uprights havingguide slots therein intermediate of their ends, a cathode rod having itsends guided in said slots, guiding collars on the outer ends of saidcathode rod, an eccentric driving shaft, having its ends mounted in thetop of said uprights, eccentric rods having their lower ends looselyattached to said cathode rod and their upper ends actuated by saidshaft, means for driving said shaft, and means depending from saidcathode rod for supporting and actuating the articles to be plated,

.said cathode rod.

7. An attachment to a plating tank comprising a pair of uprights havingguide slots therein intermediate of their ends, a cathode 40 rod havingits ends guided in said slots, guiding devices on the outer ends of saidcathode rod, an eccentric driving shaft having its ends mounted in thetop of said uprights, eccentric rods having their lower ends looselyattached to said cathode rod and their upper ends actuated by saidshaft, means for driving said shaft, and a vertical rod 25 havingtransverse wires 24 and an upper hook 26 detachably connected to saidcathode rod, the forgoing being attachable to or disconnected from theplating tank as a unit.

DAVID ALLEN METZ.

Witnesses:

E. HAYWARD FAIRBANKS, G. D. MOVAY.

Uopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

